Sunset
by Andrew Joshua Talon
Summary: My first bat at the Twilight Saga. Be warned, insane author at the helm. Character death, darkness, Alice-centric. Flame on.


"Sunset"

Andrew Joshua Talon

Disclaimer: _I do not own "Twilight", that's Stephanie Meyer's Mary Sue fantasy brought to print and film. I'm just twisting it for my own perverse amusement and to try something different. _

Author's Note: _Don't bother flaming me if you're unhappy with how I wrote this. I'm unhappy with how godawful the "Twilight" series is. Just goes to show me to remember that old maxim: "Let the buyer beware". Or in this case, the reader, as I read "Twilight" at the public library. A decision I regret almost as much as seeing the actual movie. Now, I'm a firm believer in freedom of speech and print, and if you want to read this drivel, by all means, go for it. Just know that there will be people like me around to write in response._

_Enjoy.  
_

* * *

I was/am/will be blinded. My gift rendered useless. Love I could see, emotion I could see... But not ambition.

Not _danger_.

Edward always was so dramatic, felt his emotions so hard. Compassion was a gift Carlisle possessed in abundance, a trait that had separated him from the rest of our kind. But love, oh... It was love that blinded him. The love of a father for a son. The love of compassion for someone hurting.

He did not think of the consequences, he only gave Edward a family, home to call his own. He hoped that love would be enough. But he would not embrace us, would refuse to give in. Looked and felt so hard, burning up inside his cold body.

Bella... Bella... I could see nothing. I could only feel, only know that I would feel love for her, compassion.

I could not know it was by design. I could not know that the silence Edward heard around her screamed, screamed, _screamed_. I saw only the love, and thought little of it when the child was born, future so silent. Deception was a necessity-I could not tell Renesmee's parents that I could see _nothing_ of their daughter.

I could not tell them I saw an increasing nothing into the future, my gift marginalized further, and further, and further...

Renesmee, blessed child. Of human and vampire, of the builders and dreamers and of the predators, the watchers. Without love to blind me, I would have Seen and seen the danger. There is separation for a Reason, gifts for a Reason. The Vampires, I think, needed reminders that we were different now, that we were to stay outside of human affairs. Our skin sparkled, our lives were extended, and we had our covens-All God and Nature's ways of keeping us to the shadows, so that we would watch, but not interfere.

Renesmee though... Between the human and vampire worlds, she could move. She learned and grew so quickly, the hardships of humanity and vampire kind lost and ignored. Bella was joyful, would not let her child suffer the losses or dangers of childhood. Would not let her suffer pain.

It was inevitable without Love. But I could not See it. No one could.

Renesmee's powers grew, and grew, and all fell under her spell. The Volturri could not defy her, this union between our races. She was a promised child, a Messiah. Her word and power and influence grew, and my Sight saw less and less.

She gravitated to the rich and powerful, and Bella could not fault her-She had fallen for Edward in a similar fashion, seeking danger and eternal beauty and something _other_ than her small, isolated human experience. But her daughter found no doors closed to her, no one who would not welcome her. And she desired more.

The United States fell to her public facade, a woman famous for her beauty and grace. Politicians, businessmen, all would do anything for her. My concern grew, as did Jasper's. Carlise and Rosalie too saw the danger. But the Werewolves and the Volturri would not deny her, would not see.

Time passed. Humanity remained in it's cradle, and Renesmee's influence spread across the world. All cultures, all nations, all peoples and individuals knew her, and when she spoke, nobody could forget her words. A silent tyranny of beauty and perfection grew, and she moved from us with her parents and her husband, now totally enthralled to her will. Her parents would do nothing, Bella enjoying this reverence and Edward unable to do anything to upset his daughter or wife. Her husband Jacob, too, was lost.

Renesmee desired recognition of her power, and so Queen Renesmee came to be. The peoples not enthralled were in uproar, resistance springing up. Her influence pushed for obedience, and the day after holy war spread across the planet. Humanity had continued to grow and learn new ways of destruction, and they were used by the enthralled and against them. Above it all, Renesmee would not call for mercy. Would not call for understanding.

She was _right_, they were _wrong_.

It was at this point the Vampires and Werewolves stepped in, but they too fell. Isolation, unfortunately, breeds complancency, and the weapons of Man were more than enough to eliminate any who would not serve and glorify Renesmee.

Jacob was no more Renesmee's husband than I was. Death was her groom.

And what did I do?

Nothing.

I did nothing as the people of Earth slaughtered eachother in Renesmee's name and she revelled in the attention.

I did nothing as the Volturri and the Werewolves died, and Bella rejoiced in their deaths.

I did nothing, because I was too frightened of Not Knowing. My confidence had been tied to my Gift-Without it, I felt useless and isolated.

I did move in with Bella, Edward and Renesmee-Entering her palace, becoming a fixture of her court. Jasper followed, as concerned as I, but so powerless to act. So afraid.

Yet, while fear crippled me, Jasper knew it. Jasper understood it. And so, he tried to influence Renesmee back from the cliff she'd already jumped off of.

The moment his powers arose, Bella calmly moved from her place at her daughter's side, and punched my beloved's head off. I stared in horror as she smiled serenely, the body fallign to the floor with a harsh thud, and behind her, Renesmee shared the smile.

"Aunt Alice... I am sorry, but really... It had to be done... Don't you See?" My niece asked, eyes once so indecipherable now open. I reeled at what was within.

Nothing but herself. Nothing but her. No compassion, no empathy. Just. Her.

Anger would do nothing. Rage would do nothing, for I saw that if I did, I would be next. So I used my horror to keep myself silent.

"Understand, my Aunt? It's for me... So it is good," Renesmee said. "He should not have tried to change my mind. It cannot be changed."  
Bella nodded in complete agreement, and I saw the same thing in her eyes.

I bowed my head. "Of course," I said softly. "Excuse me..." I left the throne room, shaking in grief, and anger, and horror.

I wandered to the gardens-Huge, expansive, beautiful of course-and sat down, shaking. My tears slid down my cheeks, splashing to the hard ground below. A shadow fell, and I looked up.

"Edward..."

My brother stared back, knowing it all. He slowly turned, and sat down next to me.

"... I should have seen this... I should have," he tried. I looked at him, eyes red.

"You didn't."

"No."

"... Neither did I," I said. Edward started, and stared at me in disbelief.

"But you said-!"

"I _said_ exactly what you needed to hear," I said hoarsely. "I said what I thought you needed! How could I tell you that... That all there was... Was _silence_?"

Edward turned his head, looking out beyond the palace grounds. Smoke rose from behind the walls, and the scent of the garden almost overrode that of burning flesh.

"Silence," he said softly. He bowed his head.

"Edward... Do something... Your powers-"

"My powers... Are nothing compared to hers," Edward said bitterly. "I cannot hide from her anymore... I cannot do _anything_. Against _either_ of them." He dug his fingernails into his knees. "I'm _powerless_."

I stared at him for a long time, and then... I laughed.

He stared at me for a time as I laughed, and I shook my head.

"Edward... What are we?"

"Doomed?" He tried.

"_Vampires_," I emphasized. "And what have we relied on, from day one, more than any of our other abilities?"

"Our gifts," he answered, kind enough to not read my mind. I smiled and nodded.

"And without them... What are we?"

He stared at me, and I thought the answer quite serenely. Disbelief came over his face.

"We feel powerless?"

_"Exactly,_" Alice said. "We are depressed, frustrated, obsessive compulsive about this weakness... And we _feel_ weak and powerless." I looked right into his eyes.

"But we aren't... Are we?"

"Aren't we?" He asked. I smiled, and rose.

"Come with me." And I was off. Edward soon followed.

The guard's armory was easy enough to access. The weapons were lethal, powerful. We had never bothered with them before.

"... Use these... Against my wife? My daughter?" He asked in disbelief. I took up a shotgun, and, studying the instructions, loaded it.

"Edward... They killed Jasper," I said.

"I... I..."

I sighed, and gave him a look. "Will you stop me if it comes to that?"

He said nothing. There was resignation in his eyes. He took up a weapon as well.

"I will die after this is over, if I do not before," he said.

I nodded back. "Then I will join you..."

Jacob was the first to fall. His will was not his own, and as he charged us, our intent clear, all that Edward could sense was Renesmee.

I raised the rifle, took aim, and fired. The werewolf's head exploded into gore, and the body slammed into the plush carpet, blood pooling underneath him. I ignored my bloodlust, moving quickly past him. Edward followed.

Confused guards appeared, and some opened fire out of panic. We evaded, cutting them down with weapons designed to destroy vampires and werewolves. Against humans they were slaughtered, carrion in the blood splattered hallways.

Edward smashed down the doors to the throne room, and Renesmee and Bella were there.

"Father, what are you doing?" Renesmee cried. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Edward, don't do this!" Bella cried. "What are you doing? This isn't like you! You're not a monster!"

Edward stared into the eyes of his wife, his gift silent... But he Saw all the same. Knew her, and saw this sad, insecure girl for what she was.

"I am," he said flatly. "And so are you. And so is our daughter! All monsters!"

"NO!" She screamed. "Edward, NO! W-We can talk about this-I LOVE YOU!"

"And I you," Edward spat. "And because of it... We are here." He raised the shotgun.

"Father, don't do this," Renesmee interjected softly, seductively. "There's still time to resolve this. You're not evil... You're just unhappy... I can make you happy..."

Edward's grip faltered. I couldn't blame him-The Love was twisting inside him, squeezing his will into oblivion. That feeling of powerlessness rose again inside him, and I reached out to his shoulder.

"Brother," I said softly.

It was a foolish mistake to make. Bella tackled me through the wall, sending my weapon scattering away.

"Ungh!" I grunted, and gripped her wrists tightly as her hands clamped down around my neck. She smiled down at me.

"I thought you loved me, Alice?" She said. "You Saw you loved me! You knew it! Knew he would love me!"

"Th-Then, why?" I gasped out.

"Why? Because it isn't enough, of course," Bella continued. "He loves me, he is my world... He _was_ my world... But it is so very, very small, isn't it? And it grew... And _grew_..." She threw me through another wall, and I caught sight of Edward's struggle with his daughter.

I curled into a ball and somersaulted, managing to plant my feet down on the floor. I blocked Bella's punch, retaliating with a kick to her stomach.

"HA! And it GREW! Renesmee wanted it all, and who was I to deny it?" She grinned at me and backhanded me across the face. I stumbled back, but rallied with a kick to her face.

"AUGH! And really... It's all about _me_, about _us_ after all," she sneered, clawing at me. "This is _our_ world. Our perfect, _wonderful_ world. Every human, every vampire-All just players in my story!"

Her strength was immense, and I could barely block her punches and strikes. I adopted a drunken boxing stance, bobbing and weaving to escape Bella's kicks.

"Players in _our story,_ Alice," she hissed, "and you are _not_ part of it!" She jumped up and kicked the roof as hard as she could at an angle. Debris rained down upon me, and I ripped a chair up off the floor and threw it at her. She dodged with ease, and zipped from my flank at vampiric speed. The grin on her face, the shining of her fangs-She knew, she _knew_ she had a killing blow in her reach.

I remembered my judo class, and took her hand to toss her over my head through a wall.

"ACK!" She cried, and scrambled back to her feet. "My dress! You-You ruined-GAH!"

I punched her in the throat, then grabbed her shoulders to ram my knee into her stomach.

"You're wrong, Bella," I said, feeling suddenly, dangerously calm. I delivered a flurry of knees to her stomach and chest, breaking her ribs. As she wheezed, I flat-palm struck her nose, breaking it.

"AAAHHH!"

"This isn't a story... This isn't a novel," I said flatly. "This is reality. There are consequences for everything, _everything_ you do." She tried to claw out my eyes, but I high kicked her in the chin and slammed her back into the wall, digging out a crater.

"You did nothing to raise your daughter. You just indulged everything she did," I stated. "You let her do _anything_, all to avoid the 'pain' of human living." I broke her wrist when she tried to punch me, and flipped her over my shoulder onto a table.

"A pain we _knew_, a pain that transformed us into the vampires, the _people_ we became," I continued. "But you didn't take the lesson, did you Bella? You wanted Edward and eternal beauty. You wanted _everyone_ to love you. Well guess what? They _did_."

She staggered back to her feet, and charged me with her unbroken arm raised for a punch. I calmly sidestepped her, grabbing her arm and slamming her into the floor.

"ACK!"

"They did, and they loved your daughter, and what did you do in return?" I asked. "You returned that love with _nothing_. Nothing but pain, and fear, and _death_." My eyes narrowed, and I kicked her in the stomach.

"GURK!"

"You gave birth to a _monster_, Bella... And I am not convinced you were not one to begin with," I stated. "I _loved_ you, Bella, and this... This... THIS!" I spread my hands, as though encompassing the horrors wrought within their reach. "THIS is what you did with it! With HIS love! With our gift and family!"

"I... I am n-not wrong... Th-This isn't supposed to happen," she gasped. I kneeled down and glared.

"Well it did, Bella... You got what you wanted... Without the hardship, without the pain, without the _lessons_..." I sighed. "Without knowing pain, you caused it. Without knowing death, you inflicted it upon everyone, without even the slightest thought. Your daughter did too..." I reached for her neck.

"No... Don't... This isn't supposed to... Happen... You're supposed to... Love me... Edward..." Bella tried. I closed my eyes.

"I love you, Bella..." I snapped her neck, and forced my eyes back open to watch the life vanish from hers.

It was horrible... Her life, so small, so insecure... So focused and tiny that had gotten everything, _everything_ without the proper price paid...

I rose up, and turned back towards the throne room. I entered past the shattered doors, seeing the wreckage and ruin within.

"Edward..."

He sat there, silent, the body of his daughter in his arms. He stared, broken, lost. He looked up at me... He knew...

"..." Edward looked at the shotgun, and then back at me. Silently, I picked the weapon up, and held it to his head. He closed his eyes.

"A family of monsters... Together," he said softly. I said nothing in return.

The trigger pulled, his head vanished in a blast of gore. His blood covered me, and I took a moment to look at myself.

I gasped as I Saw... I Saw again... After so long...!

I saw humanity, all across the world, coming to it's senses as the carnage stopped. I saw the extinction of vampires and werewolves, as humanity saw the death and darkness within it, and rejected it overwhelmingly. I saw them work together, recover together, and go to the stars, leaving the ancient legends, fears and darkness behind.

I smiled softly, shaking my head at the irony, the majesty of it all. The Child of Promise led to the end of the vampires, the death of the werewolves... And the ascension of mankind.

I reached for a candle burning on the wall, and dropped it onto the floor. Fortunate that fire safety had not been on the minds of Renesmee or her mother-What would the point be?

The flames shot up, spreading through the room and over the bodies. It would consume half the palace, and when it was done with, the whole estate would be plowed over. And a forest would be planted instead, a monument to Life over Death.

The funeral pyre was lit. The future was bright, and happy, and tears fell from my eyes as a smile spread across my face.

I turned the gun around, and placed it within my mouth. I had Seen it all... There was nothing left to do.

I was at peace, standing on the twilight into the eternal night of the vampires... And at the dawn of humanity.

I pulled the trigger.


End file.
